CNN isn't the only news network with its own temporary restaurant set up for the Democratic National Convention. But it is the only one with a menu certified by Danny Meyer. The dining impresario's Union Square Hospitality was tapped by the marketing agency Civic Entertainment Group to craft the menu for the "CNN Grill." Don't expect to see Meyer in person—he's in Italy at the moment, although he dispatched his deputy Richard Coraine to stand in for him and says he plans to make it to the Republican convention himself. And don't expect any fireworks from the menu of pub grub. After the jump, Danny and chef Michael Romano's official menu, including "CNN fries" and a tuna salad sandwich.

• Graydon Carter has backed out of hosting Vanity Fair's next Oscar party at Tom Colicchio's LA iteration of Craft because he doesn't like the Century City complex spot's "corporate feel." Laurent Tourondel's BLT on Sunset Strip will probably host the celeb-glutted affair instead. [P6]

• A throng of more than 120,000 pig eaters is expected to descend on Danny Meyer's annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party in Madison Square Park on Sunday. The temperature is supposed to be 95 degrees. Hope you like other people's sweat on your pulled pork. [NY Sun]

Meyer is the man behind some of New York's most beloved restaurants, including Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, and the ever-expanding Shake Shack.

Grub Street notes an e-mail making the rounds from a desperate young self-promoter in the world of fine dining:

The Danny Meyer Mystery may be over. While we yesterday suggested that the guilty might be Esquire's John Mariani, that appears not to be the case. Several sources suggest we check out Crain's Bob Lape. Following the Eater cue that "the list of reviewiers who, circa 2000, employed a star system and goose-egged Tabla and two-starred Blue Smoke is not long," we looked at the Crain's archives. Results? In 1999, Lape gave Tabla no stars ("With his new Indian/American restaurant, Tabla, Danny Meyer dares go where few have succeeded. So far, he hasn't either."), but after experiencing Meyer's hospitality, he found Blue Smoke worthy of two stars. ("Magic dust. that's what Danny Meyer brings to his new restaurants").

Earlier today we asked for help in identifying the anonymous food critic Danny Meyer bribed for a good review. Eater moves the story along with the actual excerpt from Meyer's book. Relevant passage after the jump:

Restaurateur Danny Meyer, whose quick attention to detail saved the Shake Shack from a full fecal outbreak this summer, has a new book out, and it gets a bit of a pasting in Slate. Jill Hunter Pellettieri calls Setting the Table"trite," "too touchy feely," and full of "gimmicky nuggets." (Much like the burgers at Shake Shack this summer.) Pellettieri says this more in sorrow than anger, since she, like most people who follow the industry, is full of admiration for Meyer. Another Meyer admirer, presumably, is the "unidentified critic" mentioned in today's Page Six:

NY Mag has just released its "Where to Eat" issue, and it looks like red meat and home cooking are the themes for 2003. The Cult of Atkins is probably responsible for most of it, but it may also be a function of the Southern culture that seems to be quietly infiltrating New York.